Cleaning apparatus, particularly for floors



Oct. 10, 1967 J, BLUM 3,345,567

CLEANING APPARATUS, PARTICULARLY FOR FLOORS Filed July 18, 1966 /NVENTOP-' Josef Bl um ATTY United States Patent Office Claims 3 Claims. cl. 15-119) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE This disclosure relates to a sponge rubber cleaning mop having a handle which terminates in a pair of adjacent rolls. A spong rubber mop portion is connected within a socket which is carried by a novel connection to a pull rod, the pull rod being actuated adjacent an upper end of the handle. The rod, when actuated, is raised upwardly, whereupon the socket is raised upwardly carrying the sponge rubber mop portion between the rolls. During the movement, the rod is guided by a novel slot arrangement and the sponge rubber portion is compressed between the rolls for removing liquid therefrom.

This invention relates to a cleaning apparatus, particularly for floors, of the type consisting of a holder carrying at its top a handle and terminating at its bottom in a pair of forks, at the ends of each of which a roll is rotatably mounted between which the cleaning tool of sponge rubber, for squeezing out any water taken up by the cleaning tool, can be pulled through by means of a pull rod connected at its lower end to the socket for the cleaning tool and at its upper end to a two-legged actuating handle pivoted to the handle of the cleaning apparatus.

In such cleaning apparatuses it is diflicult to exchange the cleaning tool of sponge rubber.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to facilitate the exchange of the cleaning tool in cleaning apparatuses of the above-identified type.

This object is attained according to the present invention by providing a cleaning apparatus, particularly for floors, which comprises a holder carrying at its top a handle and terminating at its lower end in a pair of forks, two spaced parallel axles passing through the forks, a number of rolls rotatable about said axles, a socket extending between the rolls, a soft compressible cleaning tool held by the socket, a shackle upwardly projecting from the socket, a pull rod capable of engaging by its lower bent end in the shackle and having its upper end connected to an actuating lever for raising the pull rod and thereby squeezing out any water taken up by the cleaning tool, and a U-shaped spring associated with the shackle and serving to clampingly retain the lower bent end of the pull rod in its position in the shackle.

For exchanging the cleaning tool it is according to the proposal of the invention now merely necessary to withdraw the lower bent end of the pull rod from the shackle on the socket of the cleaning tool against the clamping action of the U-shaped spring, whereupon the cleaning tool can be pulled out from between the rolls. After inserting a new cleaning tool, the lower bent end of the pull rod is again inserted in the shackle of the new cleaning tool and locked therein by the clamping action of the U-shaped spring.

An important feature of the invention resides in that the pull rod, when operated, is guided by the lateral boundary walls of a downwardly opening slot in one of the forks of the holder. This not only reliably prevents canting of the pull rod but also fixes the seat of the cleaning tool between the rolls.

Patented Oct. 10, 1967 According to a further feature of the invention, the U- shaped spring by means of which the pull rod is clampingly locked in the shackle is passed with its legs through bores in the shackle and engages with the legs in opposite recesses in the circumference of the bent end of the pull rod.

An embodiment of the invention will now be decsribed by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a cleaning apparatus according to the invention with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the cleaning apparatus, partly in section, and

FIG. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, through part of the cleaning apparatus.

FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a cleaning apparatus consisting of a holder 1 which has at its top a projection 2 in which a tubular handle 3 is inserted. The handle 3 is clamped in the projection 2 by means of a screw 4. The holder 1 ter- Ininates at its bottom in a pair of forks, at the free ends of each of which a roll 6 slipped on an axle 5 is rotatably mounted. The reference numeral 7 designates a soft compressible cleaning tool which preferably consists of a pad of sponge rubber and is held by a socket 8. For squeezing out the water taken up by the cleaning tool 7, the cleaning tool can be pulled through between the rolls 6 by actuating a pull rod 9 which extends along the handle 3. The pull rod 9 is connected at its upper end to a two- Iegged actuating handle 10 pivoted to the handle 3 of the cleaning apparatus and has at its lower end a bent portion 11. The reference numeral 12 designates a shackle fixedly arranged on the socket 8 for the cleaning tool 7 and the reference numeral 13 designates a U-shaped spring which is passed with its legs through holes in the shackle 12. The pull rod 9 is inserted with its bent portion 11 in the shackle 12, with the legs of the spring 13 enclosing the bent portion 11 of the pull rod 9 between them and engaging in two opposite recesses 14 at the circumference of the bent portion 11 of the pull rod 9. The reference numeral 15 designates a downwardly opening slot in one of the forks of the holder 1 of the cleaning apparatus, along the lateral boundary walls of which slot the pull rod 9 is guided with its bent portion 11 when the cleaning tool 7 is being pulled through between the rolls 6.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus, particularly for floors, comprising a holder carrying at its top a handle and terminating at its lower end in a pair of forks, two spaced parallel axles passing through the forks, a number of rolls rotatable about said axles, a socket extending between the rolls, a soft compressible cleaning tool held by the socket, a shackle upwardly projecting from the socket, a pull rod capable of engaging by its lower bent end in the shackle and having its upper end connected to an actuating lever for raising the pull rod and thereby squeezing out any water taken up by the cleaning tool, a U-shapcd spring associated with the shackle and serving to clampingly retain the lower bent end of the pull rod in its position in the shackle, and a downwardly opening slot in one of the forks of the holder of the cleaning apparatus to form a guide for the pull rod when being operated.

2. A cleaning apparatus, particularly for floors, comprising a holder carrying at its top a handle and terminating at its lower end in a pair of forks, two spaced parallel axles passing through the forks, a number of rolls rotatable about said axles, a socket extending between the rolls, a soft compressible cleaning tool held by the socket, a shackle upwardly projecting from the socket, a pull rod capable of engaging by its lower bent end in the shackle and having its upper end connected to an actuating lever for raising the pull rod and thereby squeezing out any water taken up by the cleaning tool, and a U-shaped spring associated with the shackle and serving to clampingly retain the lower bent end of the pull rod in its posi- 10 tion in the shackle, wherein the U-shaped spring has legs which project through bores in the shackle and engage in opposite recesses in the circumference of the bent end of the pull rod.

3. A cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning tool is made of sponge rubber.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,201,079 5/1940 Camden 15-119 2,762,070 9/1956 Tingley 15-119 2,794,198 6/1957 Rogers 15119 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,108 10/1957 France.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

15 DANIEL BLUM, Examiner. 

1. A CLEANING APPARATUS, PARTICULARLY FOR FLOORS, COMPRISING A HOLDER CARRYING AT ITS TOP A HANDLE AND TERMINATING AT ITS LOWER END IN A PAIR OF FORKS, TWO SPACED PARALLEL AXLES PASSING THROUGH THE FORKS, A NUMBER OF ROLLS ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXLES, A SOCKET EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ROLLS, A SOFT COMPRESSIBLE CLEANING TOOL HELD BY THE SOCKET, A SHACKLE UPWARDLY PROJECTING FROM THE SOCKET, A PULL ROD CAPABLE OF ENGAGING BY ITS LOWER BENT END IN THE SHACKLE AND HAVING ITS UPPER END CONNECTED TO AN ACTUATING LEVER FOR RAISING THE PULL ROD AND THEREBY SQUEENZING OUT ANY WATER TAKEN UP BY THE CLEANING TOOL, A U-SHAPED SPRING ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHACKLE AND SERVING TO CLAMPINGLY RETAIN THE LOWER BENT END OF THE PULL ROD IN ITS POSITION IN THE SHACKLE, AND A DOWNWARDLY OPENING SLOT IN ONE OF THE FORKS OF THE HOLDER OF THE CLEANING APPARATUS TO FROM A GUIDE FOR THE PULL ROD WHEN BEING OPERATED. 